Madison Mayor Paul Soglin pledged continued support to public employees, denouncing the Wisconsin State Legislature during his introduction of the 2015 Operating Budget at a press conference Tuesday.
“The short-sighted policies of the State Legislature have set up a two-tier labor-management system for public employees,” Soglin said. “Despite these politically motivated changes to long-standing state law and basic employee rights, I have made it a priority to ensure that compensation for all our hard-working employees is as equitable as possible.”
The Operating Budget includes provisions for a 3 percent pay increase for police and firefighters, as well as a 1.5 percent pay increase for all other city employees, according to Soglin.
However, apart from the budget increasing the number of public safety employees, there’s not many new citywide programs that can be financed, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
“The budget that the mayor proposed today is in large a status quo budget that the community has come to expect and enjoy,” Verveer said. “I think the mayor overall did a very good job in dealing with the difficult cards he’s been dealt from the state [regarding spending regulations].”
Soglin stressed the high livability ratings of Madison, but acknowledged that “there is more to do” to make Madison more equitable and stressed the challenges posed by a lack of funding, while Verveer agreed.
“There really is not a lot of wiggle room for the city,” Verveer said.
Madison’s Common Council will vote on both the Operating and Capital Budgets at the Nov. 11 meeting.
